Game.



No. 669,576. Patented Mar. i2, |90l.

B. DIXON.

G A M E.

(Applieation led Aug. 11, 1900.)

(No Model.)

BURTON 0/ xo/v Snwwcoz 1n: wams rs'rsns co. Puorcmlmo., WASHINGTON. o. e

BURTON DIXON, OF MONTREAL, CANADA.

GAME.

SPECIFICATION refining part of Letters Patent No. 669,576, dated March 12, 190i.

Application filed August 11, 1900. Serial No. 28,663. (No model.)

To ctZZ- whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, BURTON DIXON; of the city of Montreal, in the district of Montreal 'and Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Games; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates particularly to parlor or indoor games; and it has for its object to provide a game that, while requiring considerable skill and deftness to play it Well, will be simple to understand and comparatively cheap to construct.

My improved game may be said, broadly speaking, to consist of a table the surface of which is formed with a staggered series of normally-closed ports, means under the control of theplayer being provided to open said ports, While a series of devices capable of passing through said ports are caused to travel over the surface of the table, the game being to try to open any port over which one of sai'd devices may be traveling, thereby causing said device to pass therethrough and be trapped. For full comprehension, however, of my invention reference must be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, in which like symbols indicate the same parts, and wherein- Figure I is a perspective View of my improved game. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view'thereof, taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detailview of a portion of the under side of the table and illustrating one of the valves with a portion of its actuating-gear, and Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of one of the rear corners of the board.

In this embodiment of my invention the table b is made of wood supported upon a boxlike casing b', and a series of circular openings c, cut therethrough, constitute the ports, while the means for closing these ports are manipulated from a keyboard a, ext-ending across the front of the table. These ports are normally closed by a series of valves cl, each carried upon one arm c of a bell-crank lever fulcrumed to the under side of the table by means of preferably a forked bracket g, between the prongs of which it is pivoted, as at h. The other armfof each bell-crank lever is operatively connected to one of the keys 7c of the keyboard, there being a separate key for each valve and an extra one, l, to actuate the means for causing the devices to travel. Each key consists of a bell-crank lever fulcrumed upon a rigid rod m, a finger-block n being mounted upon the forward end of the horizontal arm 0 of each of said bell-crank levers, while the vertical arms p thereof directly engage the arms f of the valve-actuating bell-crank levers adjacent thereto and are connected by wire links r to the corresponding arms of the other valve-actuating bellcrank le vers. The valves are yieldingly mantained in positions to close the ports by retractile helical springs 30, connected at one end to the lower ends of the armsf thereof and at their other ends to the under side of the table.

I prefer to use a series of small balls or marbles s as traveling devices, and to cause them to roll over the surface of the table I hinge a tiltable strip t, as at 2, to the table, near the rear end thereof, and is formed with a series of seats 3, with grooves l extending therefrom toward the ports.

By depressing the key l the strip is tilted through the medium of a bell-crank lever fulcrumed upon a screw-bolt 5, taking into the adjacent side of the casing b'. The horizontal arm 6 of this lever is formed with an opening 7 to take over the lower diminished end of a rod 8, provided with a washer ll and taking through a perforation 9 in the table, and the vertical arm l0 thereof is connected by a wire link l2 to the vertical arm of the key 1, which is of similar construction to the keys la.

The bell-crank lever for tilting the strip is normally held yieldingly in a position with its horizontal arm 6 depressed by a retractile helical spring I3, connected at one end to the rear end Wall of the casing and at its other end to the vertical arm IO of said lever, while the tiltable strip is normally held yieldingly in its horizontal position-that is to say, flat upon the table-by a rod 14, connected at its upper end thereto and projecting downwardly through the table. An expansile helical spring 15 encircles this rod and bears between the under side of the table and a Washer 16, supported upon the head 17 of the bolt.

An exit-opening 2O for the marbles is provided in the left-hand side wall of the'fcasing,

IOO

and a transverse partition 21 extends from side to side of the casing at the rear side of said exit.- A rearwardly-inclined flooring 22 extends completely across the space below the ports and from the foremost thereof to the fore side of said exit and is attached at each side to a rail 23, secured to the side walls of the casing. A iiooring 24 extends between the end of said Hooring 22 and the partition 21 and is inclined toward said exit.

In playing my game it is my idea that the following rules should be observed: The board should be placed in a position with the table in a horizontal position, with the marbles upon the tiltable strip, as shown dotted in Figs. l and 2. Upon depressing key l the strip will be tilted and the marbles caused to roll over the surface of the table. The player then tries to trap the marbles by depressing the keys of the valves which control the particular post toward which the marbles may be rolling.

Although I have illustrated the game with several of the ports open at the same time, yet I consider the game to be more difficult and more interesting if the rule of depressing one-key only at a time be followed.

Itis lobvious that, if desired, other travelingvdevices than marbles and other means for projecting the said devices can be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is as follows:

l: The combination with an oblong table vhaving a staggered series of normally-closed p orts therein near one end thereof, of a keyboard arranged transversely of one end thereof; a series of devices normally located at the end of the table opposite to that near which said ports are located; means under the control of one of the keys of said keyboard for causing said devices to travel over the surface of said table from said last-mentioned end to the other end thereof; and means under control of the other keys of said keyboard for opening said ports individually, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with an oblong table having a staggered series of normally-closed ports therein near one end thereof, of akeyboard arranged transversely of one end thereof; a tiltable strip located at the end of the table opposite to that near which said ports are located; a series of marbles normally resting upon said strip; means under the control of one of the keys of said keyboard for tilting said strip and causing said marbles to travel over the surface of said table from said last-mentioned end to the other end thereof; and means under control of the other keys of said keyboard for opening said ports individually, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with an oblong table having a staggered series of normally-closed portstherein near one end thereof, of a keyboard arranged transversely of one end thereof; a normally horizontal tiltable strip located at the end .of the table opposite to that near which said ports are located; a series of marbles normally resting upon said strip; abellcrank lever fulcrumed beneath said table adjacent to said strip, a rod taking through an opening in the table and bearing between the horizontal arm of said bell-crank lever and the underside of said tiltable strip, a bellcrank lever fulcrumednear adjacent to said keyboard and carrying one of the keys on the horizontal arm thereof, a link connection between the vertical arms of said bell-crank levers, means for yieldingly retaining said strip in its horizontal position, and means under control of the other keysl of said keyboard for opening said ports individually, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with an oblong table having a staggered series of ports therein near one end thereof,ofa keyboard arranged transversely of one end thereof; a normally horizontal tiltable strip located at the end of the table opposite to that near which said ports are located; aseries of marbles normally resting upon said strip; a bell-crank lever fulcrumed beneath said table adjacent to said strip, a rod taking through an opening in the table and bearing between the horizontal arm of said bell-crank lever and the under side of said tiltable strip, a bell-crank lever fulcrumed near adjacent to said keyboard and carrying one of the keys on the horizontal arm thereof, a link connection between the vertical arms of said bell-crank levers, means 'for yieldingly retaining said strip in its horizontal position consisting of a retractile helical spring connected at one end to the vertical V arm of the rearmost bell-crank lever and at its other end to the rear Wall of the casing, a rod having a head upon its lower end and its upper end projecting through the table and connected to the strip, an eXpansile spring encircling said rod and bearing between the head thereof and the under side of the table; and means under control of the other keys of-said keyboard for opening said ports individually, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination with anv oblong table having a staggered series of ports therein near one end thereof, of a keyboard arranged transversely of one end thereof; a normally horizontal tiltahle strip located at the end of the table opposite to that near which said ports are located; a series of marbles normally resting upon said strip; a bell-crank lever fulcrumed beneath said table adjacent to said strip, a rod taking through an opening in the table and bearing between the horizontal arm of said bell-crank lever and the under side of said tiltable strip, a bell-crank lever fulcruined adjacent to said keyboard and-carrying one of the keys on the horizontal arm thereof; a link connection between the vertical arms of said bell-crank levers, means for IIO yieldingly retaining said strip in its horizontal position, a, series of bell-crank levers fulcrumed to the Aunder side of said table adjacent to said ports, a valve carried by the horizontal arm of each of seid bell-crank levers and adapted to close one of said ports, a retract-ile helical spring connected at one end to the lower end of the vertical arm of each i of said latter bell-crank levers and at its other end to the under side of said table on the rear side of said arm, a rigid rod beneath and eX- tending transversely of the table, a series of bell-crank levers fulorurned upon said rod,the other keys of seid keyboard being mounted upon the horizontal erin of each of said bell- 

